Almost 7 million pounds of beef are being recalled from Walmart and other stores as a salmonella outbreak sickens at least 57 people in 16 states

Shutterstock/Tyler OlsonMillions of pounds of ground beef are being recalled after being sold at stores including Walmart.

Roughly 6.9 million pounds of raw beef are being recalled after being linked to a salmonella outbreak.

The salmonella outbreak has sickened at least 57 people in 16 states, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Thursday.

The raw ground beef was sold under numerous names, including the Showcase brand at Walmart.

Millions of pounds of beef are being recalled because of food-poisoning concerns.

The Tolleson, Arizona-based meat producer JBS Tolleson is recalling roughly 6.9 million pounds of raw beef products, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Thursday.

An investigation by the FSIS, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and other public-health groups found that at least 57 people in 16 states had been sickened as a result of salmonella linked to the ground-beef products.

The beef products were sold under numerous brands, including Cedar River Farms, Comnor Perfect Choice, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms, and Showcase, which is sold at Walmart. A full list of the brands and how to identify potentially contaminated ground beef can be found on the FSIS website.

Salmonella has been responsible for some of the most widespread food-poisoning outbreaks in recent US history. In 1985, more than 6,000 people were sickened and nine people died in a salmonella outbreak tied to tainted milk. And an outbreak in 2009 linked to a peanut factory sickened more than 500 people, eight of whom died.

“FSIS advises all consumers to safely prepare their raw meat products, including fresh and frozen,” and to consume ground beef only if it has been cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the FSIS said in a statement. “Other cuts of beef should be cooked to a temperature of 145°F and allowed to rest for at least three minutes.”